David Lay

David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville. He initially played mostly in the blues style, before transitioning to country music, becoming a major part of the 1970s outlaw country scene. His biggest hits were "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile", "The Ride", "You Never Even Called Me by My Name", "She Used to Love Me a Lot", and "Longhaired Redneck". His most popular songs performed by others are the number-one hits "Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)" sung by Tanya Tucker and Johnny Paycheck's rendition of "Take This Job and Shove It". The latter inspired the movie of the same name. Coe's rebellious attitude, wild image, and unconventional lifestyle set him apart from other country performers, both winning him legions of fans and hindering his mainstream success by alienating the music industry establishment.. Coe continues to be a popular performer on the country music circuit.

This ancient music, the beautiful chant and its fascinating monody bring to mind images of the cloistered activities of monks centuries ago: this disc, in particular, is performed by the descendants of those mediaeval monks in England.
The chants for the Mass, and the Office of Matins for St Thomas of Canterbury are taken from the Sarum rite - the liturgical format developed at Salisbury Cathedral, which became the, more-or-less, standard sung formula throughout the middle ages in England. St Thomas of Canterbury is, of course, England’s most important home-grown Saint, and therefore has a special resonance to the place of Canterbury. The performers here are the Lay Clerks of Canterbury Cathedral - the professional men of the cathedral choir.

After the sudden disappearance of two high-priced detectives, former Indianapolis cop Frank Behr, the brooding private investigator introduced in David Levien's nationally acclaimed novel City of the Sun, is pulled into a case that is harrowing, relentless, and, ultimately, personal. Early in the dark, Indianapolis morning, Frank Behr's friend and mentor is murdered with no motive and no trace of evidence left behind. Behr, a quiet, mountainous former cop, thirsts for answers and retaliation. But before he can make headway in the dead-end investigation, an exclusive private firm approaches him with a delicate proposition: two of its detectives have gone missing, and the firm wants Behr to find out what happened to them…

Coe appears incapable of separating the good from the ridiculous and his albums are erratic. At his best, he is a sensitive, intelligent writer. Similarly, his stage performances with his Tennessee Hat Band differ wildly in length and quality: sometimes it is non-stop music, sometimes it features conjuring tricks. Coe’s main trick, however, is to remain successful, as country music fans grow exasperated with his over-the-top publicity.